Tuesday, January 8, 2008

I remember joining your hands together at the beach.I remember hiding under a desk when you fought, which was never very often.I remember Space Mountain, when she was so scared that she hid her head in my lap.We were always together, family and friends forever.Watermelon summers and fall nights passed away into years.

I remember the day, it wasn’t that far away,When our glass world was shattered for the first time.We cried together. He was my shelter--I had no other support that year.We knew the time would pass, and summer came at last.

Watermelon days turned into fall nights, and we were, no, I was happy at last.But she was in pain again, we didn’t know why.I remember the day she couldn't get up, and all I could do was cry.The glass shattered again, this time into tinier fragments.The shards will never fit back together exactly the same.I remember her state of shock the weekend the glass shattered,But I was not near her.

We had separate plans, and to those we stuck.She went one way and we went the otherI remember his support.I never knew just how strong his shoulder was untilI had to lean on it to get through the day.I remember how our words wrenched with sobs showed expression,But the pictures from that weekend captured the moment.

Time moved on once again, and another Watermelon summer passed us by.It was a golden summer, ironic that it should be so.The questions we had we pushed into the back of our minds,And she and I drank the Island’s fine wine.

Watermelon days turned into fall nights,And we took our happiness where we could find it.Winter settled upon us.It has not been an easy one.The shards of glass continue to break through her skin.

Will another Watermelon summer pass us by?The shards are hidden, and we are uncertain where or when they will return.Uncertain is an apt description of the newer lifestyles we have had to affect.With the uncertainness in my step,I seem to have prospered during these times of the shattered glass.

We take each day in stride,And take chances,And say I love you as if there will be no tomorrow.Maybe there won’t be one.If there isn’t, we have done everything right.We have not held anything back, merely held on.Winter days are fading into spring breezes,Which will soon turn into Watermelon days,And we are still holding strong.

Eve Coleman Memorial Fund

Excerpt from Watermelon Winterby Eve ColemanYesterday, in the dead of my worst winterI bought shoes...Watermelon shoes.That's what the salesclerk called them, anyway...Just at the place where my arch might be, two watermelon halves broke through.Reminded me of juicy times past and hinted thatThis winter may one day endAnd summer come again.

Eve Coleman's fight against breast cancer ended in May 1994 at the age of 47. Her memory lives on through her dedicated family, friends and students, and her writing.

To honor her memory as we celebrate our wedding, we have created the Eve Coleman Memorial Fund, which will help underfunded breast cancer patients get the treatment they need through the Breast Health Navigator Program at Roper St. Francis Cancer Center in Charleston. For further information, please click here. A donation, in lieu of a wedding gift, would be very meaningful to us.

Many of you didn't have the opportunity to meet Eve, but we hope you'll get to know her through this blog. If you have questions or would like to share a memory or thought about Eve, we invite you to email us at watermelonshoes[at]gmail.com. Please indicate if you’d like your message posted.

We have no doubt that Eve, who was emailing, websurfing, and hanging out in chat rooms before many of us knew how to turn on a computer, would be thrilled to be a part of the blog age.Please send your donation to:Roper St. Francis Foundation25 Doughty Street, Suite 790Charleston, SC 29403Attention Annette ShepardRe: Eve Coleman Memorial FundRoper is a federal and state income tax exempt organization per section 501(c)3 of the IRS tax code. As a corporation d/b/a Roper Hospital, Incorporated (RHI), its federal tax ID is #57-0828733.